MAIN IDEA
Breakfast is usually called the most important meal of the day, but it could actually be lunch.
According to the University of Arkansas, there is enough on-campus housing for all freshmen.
At least two dozen incoming students at the U of A have reported that they were unable to choose a dorm room.
Disagree! The sources are saying opposite things, so would be used as counterarguments.
What should you do first when preparing to summarize an article?
Scan it to look for what type of article it is and how it's organized/written.
You're writing an essay arguing that TikTok has become more popular than Twitter or Instagram. What kind of source/evidence do you need for support?
A research study with statistics showing that TikTok has attracted more users than Twitter or Instagram.
Many people use TikTok for entertainment, but there are some who have branded themselves and made a career out of their large following. These influencers have been able to score product deals, advertising money, and even TV contracts.
While TikTok is just entertainment for most people, it can also help start successful careers for influencers with lots of followers.
Research shows that over 70% of people on Earth use some form of social media.
Facebook gained 40 million new users in 2020.
Agree! In synthesis, these ideas would be used to support each other.
After scanning, what should you do next?
Read the article more closely, and either highlight or take notes about main ideas.
You're arguing that body image is a serious issue for both men and women, especially young people. What kinds of sources/evidence would you need to support this?
You would need sources showing how ideal body image affects both men and women in similar and different ways.
Your brain needs to be kept active and engaged in order to stay healthy. Reading is great exercise for the mind. Reading is more demanding on the brain than processing speech and images. Mental stimulation from reading will improve your memory and learning capacity, keep your mind sharp by slowing cognitive decline as you age, and strengthen your brain against disease like Alzheimer’s or dementia.
Reading is important for strengthening your memory, and helps keep your brain alert and healthy.
Apple Music earned more than all other music streaming services in 2020.
Apple Music earned $90 billion in revenue in the first quarter of 2020, compared to Spotify's $2 billion.
Agree! These sources both support the idea that Apple Music earned more than other streaming services. They could be synthesized to prove this.
Once you've read and taken notes, what comes next?
Create an outline, diagram, etc. to organize your ideas and make sure they fit with the overall ideas in the article.
In an essay, you're arguing that better nutrition should be taught in schools. What kinds of source/evidence do you need to support this?
You could find studies linking poor nutrition to health problems. You could also use data to show that proper nutrition isn't being taught in many schools right now.
Most Americans do not say news on social media has helped them better understand current events. The largest segment, 47%, says it doesn’t make much of a difference, while 29% say that it has helped their understanding and 23% say it has actually left them more confused. This largely reflects responses to similar questions in 2018 and 2019, when a minority said that social media news helped them better understand current events.
Since at least 2018, a majority of Americans do not feel that social media helps them better understand current events.
DAILY DOUBLE
Country is a more popular genre than rap.
20% of albums listened to in 2018 were by pop artists, while 9% were by country artists.
Unrelated! We don't know if country is more popular than rap based on this data, so the sources wouldn't be able to synthesize as support.
What comes after the outline?
Write your summary! It might help to write one sentence that sums up the overall main idea of the article.
Say you want to write an essay arguing that cancel culture is harmful to self-esteem, both for individuals and as a society. What two types of source/evidence might you need to support your opinion?
You would use a source with examples that show how people have been negatively affected. You would also find a larger study with data that looks at this issue and found how people were affected.
There is a delicate balance in defending the right to freedom of speech and holding individuals and corporations responsible for their actions. The issue with cancel culture is that there is no range and all examples have the same severe punishment. People can be fired, and student admission can be halted as a result of this. In most cases, it’s a trend to be cancelled where people jump on a bandwagon without the slightest amount of information on what they are cancelling.
Cancel culture can cause unfair consequences, especially for smaller actions, and should balance accountability with freedom of speech.
Vegetables provide the most essential nutrients for a healthy, active body.
Some doctors believe that healthy fats, such as in avocado, can be more important for daily energy than raw fruits or vegetables.
Disagree! These sources are on the same topic, but have different viewpoints on the most important nutrients for active energy. They could be synthesized to show counterargument.
How should your summary always start?
With listing the article title + the author's name
You want to argue that the minimum wage should be increased to help both individuals and the economy recover from the pandemic. What two types of source/evidence do you need to synthesize this argument?
You would need a combination of personal examples to show that people are suffering, along with a study that shows why increasing the minimum wage will help boost economic growth.